TV Character Elsbeth Displays Problem Solving Skills
- Larry Ray
- Jun 3
- 6 min read
Elsbeth TV Character may be a version of Colombo, the unconventional detective. (Colombo played by Peter Falk, 1968-1978, untypical whodunit TV detective.) The focus is “how done it” rather than “who done it.” She played this role on the TV show the Good Wife and now the show centers around her, “A dream come true.” Her super conflict management power is being underestimated. ( The Late Night Show with Steven Colbert.)
Introduction
Every once in awhile on TV there is a series that is helpful to learning problem solving skills. One past one was Netflix's The Diplomat, to which a previous blog entry was devoted. The TV CBS series Elsbeth is another.
ELSBETH, TV SERIES, CBS is a comedy drama series that consists of two seasons and 30 episodes. Elsbeth (Dutch origins, variant of Elizabeth) Tascioni played by Emmy award winner Carrie Preston uses her unique perspective to help the NYPD (New York Police Department) solve murders. (Lots of problems and conflict management also occurs with her adult son Teddy played by Ben Levi Ross.)
According to Wikipedia:
Carrie Preston (born June 21, 1967) is an American actress schooled at Julliard, director, and producer. She is best known for her roles as Arlene Fowler in the HBO fantasy drama series True Blood (2008–2014) and as Elsbeth Tascioni in the CBS legal drama series The Good Wife (2010–2016) and the two spinoffs The Good Fight (2017–2022) and Elsbeth (2024–present). For her work on The Good Wife, Preston received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. Wikipedia.
This is a great series for problem solving and conflict management. Preston plays an “astute and unconventional” attorney from Chicago who takes on an assignment to oversee corruption (Court Consent Decree) in the NYPD police force. She is there to ensure that high profile crimes do not become lawsuits. Despite that title, she forms a close relationship with Detective Kaya Blanc. Elsbeth usually is the key to solving the crime weekly. Why is she just a great problem solver?
She dresses and behaves quirkily, bizarrely. Because of this, most people do not think she is intelligent or discerning. They often “spill the beans” to her in ways they would not to a police officer. (Mattie in Matlock uses her age in the same way. People often stereotype old people-are they invisible?)
She pays attention to her instincts, her intuition, and gut reaction. (Remember I have previously referred to Malcolm Gladwell’s book, Blink, which advises us to pay attention to our instincts, do the research, and take action. Instincts are usually correct based on our life experiences.)
She realizes that all people make assumptions. Most of the time, assumptions are not important, but when they are check them out to avoid going down an erroneous road.
She has insight and is discerning. She often looks beyond the obvious. She may see something in a photo that others may not.
She thinks outside the box. She goes beyond routine thinking. She sometimes does not go into lock step in the problem solving stages.
Great communication skills. She listens, summarizes, and ask questions.
She recognizes and capitalizes on emotions. Instead of hiding from them or ignoring them, she uses emotions intelligently.
She takes some risks, sometimes being a disrupter. She realizes that sometimes rules and regs and norms get in the way and may need to be ignored for the higher good.
Example Season Two, Episode-I’ve Got a List. A prince from a little known European country is murdered in a dark alley. Since the victim is a prince, the international European Police become involved. The International Police immediately want to take over the case and believe this murder is the responsibility of terrorist groups who have threatened the country and the prince. Elsbeth does not think that makes sense since the prince was somewhat undercover as a street person living out of a camper.
At the crime scene, rich, entitled playboy Rod shows up offering his assistance. All of the other police ignore Rod, but Elsbeth begins to interrogate him wondering why he is interested in this murder. Elsbeth then visits him at The Rich Gentlemen’s Club. She pays close attention to Rod’s friend who mentions that Rod mistakenly shot him in the arm and what a thrill Rod got out of it. A thrill? Elsbeth discovers that “bored” Rod has a bucket list.
Meanwhile, the other NYPD police and the International Police pooh-poohs (dismiss) Elsbeth's “Rod as a suspect idea.”
An anonymous message is sent to the police linking the murder to a terrorist group. Because of this message and the terrorist group’s taking responsibility for the murder, NYPD believes the case is closed, but not Elsbeth. She notices the paper of the anonymous message is the same expensive paper as Rod’s business card. She also notes that Rod mentioned the victim’s expensive boots that had not been mentioned in any press briefings.
Of course, it turns out the Elsbeth is right. Rod is the murderer. He had placed the thrill of murdering a human on his Bucket List=a random murder. Rod had no idea he had murdered a prince. He had thought this guy was a quasi-alley homeless guy.
Other TV Series Exemplify These Same Elsbeth Problem Solving Skills:
Each of the main characters have super discerning, albeit, quirky ways to view a problem, a conflict often disrupting the general pattern.
The Mentalist (7 TV Seasons) For years, Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) has served as an independent consultant for the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI), earning a reputation for unusual methods and disregard for protocol - not to mention his former career as a psychic…until he's tracked down by the FBI and drawn into their fold to help solve crimes once again with his acute powers of observation; with negotiations he secures jobs there for his associates, Theresa Lisbon and Kimball Cho.
Tracker (2 Seasons): Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley), a trusted lone-wolf survivalist who, driven by the troubles of his past, uses his instincts to find the missing and collect rewards. Supported by lawyer Reenie Green, his business handler Velma Bruin, and tech expert Bobby Exley, Colter will stop at nothing to get the job done.
Matlock New TV Series: Brilliant septuagenarian Madeline "Matty" Matlock (Kathy Bates), after achieving success in her younger years, decides to rejoin the workforce at a prestigious law firm where she uses her unassuming demeanor and wily (clever) tactics to win cases and expose corruption from within.
Will Trent: Based on Karin Slaughter's bestselling books, the series follows Special Agent Will Trent (Ramon Rodriguez) of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. As a child, Trent was abandoned and was forced to endure a harsh coming-of-age in Atlanta's overwhelmed foster care system. Now that he is in a position to make a difference, Trent is determined to use his unique point of view to make sure no one is abandoned like he was. His personal motivation and background contribute to Will Trent having the highest clearance rate in the GBI.
Watson: Six months after the death of his friend and partner Sherlock Holmes at the hands of Moriarty, Dr. John Watson (Morris Chestnut) resumes his medical career as the head of a clinic dedicated to treating rare disorders. Watson's old life isn't done with him, though - Moriarty and Watson are set to write their own chapter of a story that has fascinated audiences for more than a century. "Watson" is a medical show with a strong investigative spine, featuring a modern version of one of history's greatest detectives as he turns his attention from solving crimes to solving medical mysteries.
Brilliant Minds: Dr. Oliver Wolf (Zachary Quinto) is an eccentric but incredibly gifted neurologist who suffers from a rare condition that gives him a unique perspective on care, fueling his mission to change the way the world sees his patients. After his unusual methods result in his dismissal, he takes his unconventional approach to a new hospital, Bronx General, where he leads a team of bright young interns in tackling some of the world's most puzzling psychological cases. With their help, he must also challenge his own personal and social limitations by navigating all the expectations, politics, and complicated relationships that come with the job.
Mind Hunter: Catching a criminal often requires the authorities to get inside the villain's mind to figure out how he thinks. That's the job of FBI agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench. They attempt to understand and catch serial killers by studying their damaged psyches. Along the way, the agents pioneer the development of modern serial-killer profiling. The crime drama has a strong pedigree behind the camera
Conclusion
The quirky character Elsbeth portrays many of the skills of an effective problem solver. She is discerning, thinks outside the box and outside the group think. In problem solving, she must see the big and little picture. She must avoid and embrace the obvious.
References
Elsbeth, the Trailer
The Late Show with Steven Colbert
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